


Lost In The Dream

by sweetcinnamonbun



Series: Superhuman [4]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, College Parties, Demons, I think I talk about blood at the end but only for a moment, It starts off nice and then it gets worse, Jooheon is thought to be dead for a little bit but it doesn't stick, K-Pop Cinematic Universe, Loosely discusses the effect on the spouses of superhumans, M/M, Minor coffee shop nonsense, Sort of a college AU for a bit, This is more relationship building than world building, also Hyungwon was a barista for a bit, changkyun is a witch, grief makes arguments worse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:07:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27150857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetcinnamonbun/pseuds/sweetcinnamonbun
Summary: It's not like he meant to keep staring at the DJ across the room. Or to see him again at the coffee shop. But he knows he wouldn't trade it for anything.OrChangkyun and Hyungwon are just your average idiots falling in love... Until they aren't anymore.
Relationships: Chae Hyungwon/Im Changkyun | I.M
Series: Superhuman [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908217
Kudos: 8





	Lost In The Dream

Everyone always begins their stories from the day the meteors hit, as though nothing important ever happened before everyone thought they were going to die and then… didn’t. For me, though, everything started back when I was a new student in college, the same one that my father went to, so I knew it was going to be the best and that I would be following his footsteps. I wasn’t sure if it was the best choice I could have made, transferring to another country to pursue my dreams, but it was what I’d done.  
I’d made a friend fairly quickly. Or, more accurately, he and I wound up at the same table at the library while studying, and things went from there. He was far more social than I ever was, could or would ever be, introducing me to his other friends, taking me with him to parties and helping me home when I had a few too many drinks.  
His name was Jooheon, and he was my best friend.  
It was at one of the parties he’d managed to drag me along to that I saw him for the first time.  
We’d arrived early to the party - maybe a little too early, but Jooheon was determined to be there a little early to help some other friend set up what I guessed was the large container of really strong punch in the kitchen. I’d found my place against a wall, eyeing a few of the other early partygoers until my gaze settled on a tall, thin young man, carrying a large case in one hand and nursing a coffee in the other. Everything about him screamed exhaustion, from the dark circles under his eyes and the mess of brown, unkempt hair to the well-worn track suit, but he carried on about his business, setting up in a corner surrounded by speakers.  
When the party was in full swing, I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. The way he spun tracks that made the collection of people crowding the living room jump and sway, sloshing drinks everywhere. Jooheon sidled up next to me - he was a clingy drunk and that punch was strong enough for me to feel light-headed while still nursing my first cup of it - telling me something that was hard to make out past the loud music and the louder partygoers. He leaned his head on my shoulder, smelling like sweat from the dance floor he’d just been fooling around on.  
I realized it was probably about time to get him home, but I’d been so preoccupied with watching the party’s DJ that I hadn’t really noticed just how far gone he already was. I throw away the cheap plastic cup of even cheaper liquor I’d barely drank from, casting a final glance at the DJ - who could never have recognized a wallflower such as myself - before helping my swaying friend back to his apartment.  
The next few days, it was all I could do to keep focused. That damn man and his tired stare kept plaguing my thoughts, even though I had more than my fair share of papers to write and things that needed done, like the pile of laundry that needed washed and the dishes that kept piling up in the sink. Jooheon stopped in to thank me for getting him home, nursing a hangover and flopping onto my bed while I worked at my desk, tapping my pen absentmindedly against the dense book I was reading.  
He turned his head to look at me with bleary eyes, “What’s on your mind?”  
“It should be this damn paper for biology,” I started, shoulders slumping as I sighed heavily. After a moment of chewing my lip, and carefully considering an answer, I continued. “Who was that DJ at the party?”  
“I think he goes by H.One?” Jooheon yawned, stretching out on my bed as he looked up at the ceiling, “Don’t know much more than that, though. I see him on campus sometimes, always with coffee. Why?”  
“No reason. He’s just really good at it,” I muttered, pretending to go back to my reading. I’m pretty sure I’d gone over this sentence a thousand times by this point, and I still couldn’t tell you what it was about.  
The next few parties were easier to drag me to.  
H.One was only at one of them, all tired eyes while he spun the tracks for the party and sipped the largest iced americano I’d ever seen. Again, I couldn’t help but watch the way he lost himself in the music. Unfortunately, Jooheon had slowed his drinking this time, coming to stand by my spot against the wall and following my gaze all the way to the DJ.  
There was a knowing smirk as he looked at me. “Trying to burn a hole in him with that stare?” he teased, jabbing my side with a finger and causing me to almost spill my drink when I jolted.  
“No!” I yelped, “I just…”  
“Dude, it’s okay. I’m not judging. He’s a good looking guy.”  
“Yeah,” I breathed out, carding the fingers of my empty hand through my hair, “He is.”  
Monday afternoon, I was dragged with Jooheon and his friends to a coffee shop for snacks and something to wake us all up after some of the harder to get through classes. We took to a corner in the back, away from prying eyes. We’d been here a handful of times before, though I’d always arrived late and Jooheon had always had to guess my coffee order at random. Today, though, the distraction was welcome.  
Jackson nodded towards me, “Coffee’s on you today. We’ve been paying for yours for months.”  
“And you never get it right,” I chuckled, setting my bag down on the chair that would be mine before grabbing my wallet.  
Mingyu stretched his arms above his head, taking a deep breath, "Just do it before Soonyoung starts flirting with the barista again and gets us kicked out."  
Soonyoung protested, but quieted down when one of the three baristas eyed him dangerously and his mouth snapped shut as he lowered himself back into his seat. I raised an eyebrow a moment before nearing the counter, already knowing the day’s overwhelming coffee order. I waited at the counter a moment while the three baristas talked amongst themselves as they cleaned up.  
Jiwoo, I knew from a humanities course I’d signed up for just to get it out of the way. She knew a lot on the subject, but had also tried, on three separate occasions, to sneak her french bulldog into class in a backpack carrier. She’d been caught each time, much to everyone’s amusement. There was also the one who had nearly launched himself at Soonyoung. He was grumbling something under his breath as he wiped down the steamers after a battle to finish several cappuccinos and a latte. He was assisted by a much taller man, who was refilling a grinder with espresso beans, his back turned to me as he asked questions to the other two about whatever odd thing happened during the weekend.  
Jiwoo noticed me standing there and nodded to the taller guy, who turned to look at me with tired eyes with dark circles that had been haphazardly covered up with makeup. I recognized him immediately, trying hard to keep my cool as I watched him. He was far more handsome up close than I’d thought.  
“I’ll be with you in a moment,” he drawled as he finished emptying the contents of the coffee bag into the grinder, tossing it in the trash the moment it was empty. He dusted off his hands, taking a quick sip of his stashed drink while eyeing me before coming to stand behind the register. “What can I get for you?”  
"Five Americanos, I guess," I shrugged, as he marked the cups, "You're that DJ, right?"  
He eyed me again with a quirked brow before he gave a short nod, typing in the order to get him a total, "But right now, I'm that barista. And later, I'll be that student."  
I gave an amused laugh at that - just a little one, I didn’t want to break my cool facade - and paid for the drinks, "You're really good. Music production?"  
"It's just a hobby. I'm working towards a degree in law," he answered, passing the cups off to Jiwoo so that the drinks could be made.  
"Shame," I sighed under my breath as I paid. Or maybe it wasn’t as quiet as I thought, because when I looked up at him, the corners of his lips had turned up just slightly. Panic set in and I laughed nervously, scratching the back of my neck before letting out a groan, trying to not let him notice the way my face was heating up. “I just meant that you’re really good at it.”  
“You said that already,” he answered, the ghost of a smile fading away until his tired expression returned.  
Flustered, I tried to shrink into myself until there was nothing left, but only managed to pathetically sink my head to my raised shoulders as I went to step off to the side. That was it. I was never coming back to this coffee shop again.  
But I did.  
It was a weekly hang out spot, with Soonyoung eyeing the shorter male barista less and less while his seat moved progressively closer to Mingyu’s. We usually talked about whatever nonsense had happened in classes or at the latest party, which I was (regrettably) usually at.  
I had tried talking to H.One more than once at both parties and the coffee shop, managing to actually hold conversations that were slowly losing the embarrassing bits, but they never lasted long enough to reach those deep conversations that I wanted to have.  
He started noticing me more, too, occasionally putting on a playlist of previously spun tracks to greet me, sometimes going so far as to steal whatever half-empty drink I was working on and chugging it before leaning on the wall beside me. Not that I minded. The drinks were either too strong or too weak, and I found his presence more intoxicating, anyways.  
“If you keep staring at me like that, I’m pretty sure you’re gonna burn holes right through me,” he teased. This time I’d been smart enough to grab a second drink, watching as he still took the cup I’d been drinking from and downed it before slumping onto the wall next to me.  
“‘S not like I’m glaring at you, H.One… If that’s really your name.”  
He laughed to himself, briefly eyeing the full cup still in my hand, “If that’s the name my parents gave me, what would that say about them?”  
I gave a little chuckle at that, “I guess…”  
“All you’ve given me is your coffee order, five iced americanos, if that’s really your name,” he teased.  
I snorted at that, nearly choking on whatever concoction they were calling punch at this party. “Lim Changkyun,” I answered, when the coughing subsided.  
He looked straight ahead and I could have sworn that the corners of his lips turned up in a smile, “Chae Hyungwon.”  
Things seemed to get a little easier after that, with Hyungwon occasionally spotting me on the way to my next class and waving at me. I always waved back, wanting to walk over every time, but always being nervous around the collection of more sociable people who surrounded him. They would occasionally eye me as I stopped to wave, judgemental looks that rivaled Hyungwon’s were trained on me and so I’d pull up my hood after a moment and then continue my path to my next class, trying not to draw more attention to myself.  
Of all the people to crush on, it was the guy whose looks rivaled any model.  
The next few days, I sped by his usual spots a little faster, giving him a quick greeting before dodging the stares of his friends. He brought it up at the coffee shop after the sixth time, his lips pulled into an exaggerated pout as I went to order the next round of americanos for the table.  
“Why did you start rushing to class?” he asked, typing in the order before I had the chance to speak. “Are you avoiding me?”  
Jiwoo raised an eyebrow as she started filling cups with ice and making the coffees for us while I grabbed my card to pay. He reached for the card and our fingertips brushed, and I think my heart stopped for a moment.  
“No,” I sighed, “It’s just… Your friends are kind of intimidating.”  
The pout faded and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he swiped the card and handed it back to me, “They’re not too bad.”  
“Probably, but I mean… You’re H.One. I’m not even sure that I should legally be allowed to look at you, y’know?” I mumbled, fumbling through the contents of my wallet after the bank card was put back.  
I had expected a snort of laughter or a scoff or something, but, when I glanced up at him, he was looking at me with a soft expression. “Why would you go and think that?” he asked.  
Chewing my lip and avoiding his stare, I let out a heavy sigh. “Because you’re you. You could be a model instead of going through law school and deejaying and working at a coffee shop and whatever the hell else you do that you’re probably amazing at because you’re you and you’re incredible.”  
When I glanced back at him he looked as though he was in some form of shock at my statement before he cleared his throat, “Jiwoo, can you keep an eye on the counter? I’m going to take my break.” She gave a mock salute setting the coffees on the counter. I went to collect them, but Hyungwon stopped me. “Come with me.”  
I nodded slowly, knowing that I’d made the foolish mistake of blurting out too much. I didn’t even know if he was interested in men like that. My shoulders slumped in defeat and I wondered just how much I’d need to beg to remain his friend. I followed him outside and around the back into an alleyway near the dumpsters. It was quiet and private and away from the prying eyes of my curious friends. Before he could scold me or try to ban me from the coffee shop, I sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sorry. That was a lot to say, but I like you. I really like you. And if that weirds you out, I’ll leave you alone but-..”  
He cut me off, placing a finger over my lips before letting out a soft “shut up”, before his lips connected with mine. It was a gentle little thing, his hands cupping my face as my mind raced, finally making the realization as to what was happening in time to kiss him back. I didn’t know what it meant, or even if it actually meant anything at all, but what I did know was that the feeling of his kiss was the best feeling in the world. One kiss was followed by another and another before he pulled away. He still held my face in his hands as he spoke, and I knew my cheeks were heating up under his touch.  
“You should meet my friends,” he muttered softly, lightly kissing the corner of my mouth. I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, shaky as it was, and gave a small nod. “Can I get your number?”  
And, like the lovesick fool I was, I’d agreed. We’d returned to the cafe after several more kisses, each one a little sweeter, and I didn’t mind that my coffee was watered down - not when every time he caught my gaze, he’d smile and I’d blush.  
Jooheon must have noticed - he always did - because he asked me on our way back to the dorms, and I’d told him everything without a second thought.  
“So, you kissed,” he said with a grin that made his dimples appear, “Isn’t that like.. Exactly what you’ve been dreaming about since you met him?”  
“Shut up,” I groaned, elbowing him in the side and earning a whine.  
After a minute, he laughed and threw his arm around me, “I think he might like you. You gonna ask him on a date?”  
I thought about it for a second before nodding slowly, “Yeah, I think I will.”  
Jooheon grinned at that and we spent the rest of the walk to the apartments joking about just about anything. Apparently, he’d dropped something on the floor and noticed Soonyoung and Mingyu holding hands, fingers laced tightly together. The scandal.  
I didn’t sleep that much after Hyungwon started texting me, learning what we could about one another late into the night. It might have been a mistake, but I couldn’t bring myself to care, even when I was having a hard time keeping awake during my classes. Between classes, I’d cautiously approached his friend group when he’d waved at me and he’d walked over, sliding an arm around me while he introduced me to them. I was too tired at the time to remember their names, but I had greeted them while tucked against Hyungwon's side. There were still a handful of judgemental eyes set on me, but they only lasted until Hyungwon suggested he walk with me to my next class. And he did that every day until the next party.  
He was deejaying and I was leaning against the wall, trying not to think too hard about the way his brows furrowed in concentration or the way his entire aura shifted as he manipulated the music. Occasionally, our eyes would meet and I’d try to look as unaffected as I could by his stare, taking a drink of whatever Jackson had handed to me after we’d arrived. It was strong, but I’d decided that the extra confidence (or was it recklessness?) was needed.  
Tonight was the night.  
Tonight, I was going to ask Hyungwon out.  
The plan was to strike up a conversation, which was easy enough, and then, when the moment was right, I’d ask him to go out with me. First date. Official. Nothing intimidating.  
The party wound down, at least to the point where Hyungwon called it a night and started packing up his gear. Now was my moment.  
Carefully, I’d approached him, standing nearby as he took the utmost care to put his things away. He noticed me, but didn’t really look up, acknowledging me only with a soft smile.  
“So,” I started, “What are you when you’re not that barista, that dj or that student?”  
He glanced up at me with a smirk, one of the ones that could make my heart skip a beat. “I was hoping to be that guy who took you out on a date.”  
It wasn’t the first time that Hyungwon had managed to throw me off. He was just like that, knowing my every move before I could make it.  
The first date had been going for coffee, and we’d wound up at his workplace on his day off, talking about all kinds of things. I learned a lot about him, from his missed chance in the fashion career (I knew he could have been a model), his dreams (he was going to make a great lawyer) and anything else he could think of to answer my endless questions. I’d answered his questions in return. Though my life hadn’t been nearly as interesting as his own, he’d listened, his chin resting in his hand as he sipped his coffee.  
At the end of the night, I’d walked him home and we’d kissed at the door before he let me go.  
We made it almost a regular thing. Just little dates and getting to know one another over ice cream or tteokbokki.  
One time, we even just wound up at my apartment in baggy sweats, bundled under blankets and tiredly watching a drama with the sound deliberately too low. Just a gentle hum of background noise as he leaned into me, his head on my shoulder as he allowed himself to drift off after a long shift and exams. He’d awoken with a start, blinking slowly up at me before nearly knocking me over to more efficiently curl up into me. It was the first time he’d spent the night at my apartment, and we’d both woken up late for classes the next day, but he’d looked more rested than he had since we’d met.  
So it became a regular thing to have him spend the night.  
It was nice and comfortable and I didn’t want to call what I was feeling love just yet, but it was damn near close.  
Of course, my friends noticed the change in my behavior at the coffee shop.  
Shame on me for having observant friends who won’t just let me live.  
The day had started off innocently enough, with Soonyoung excitedly telling us about how he would be spending the weekend with his brother. He didn’t get to see him often, as his job had him running all over the country, but they had finally carved out a decent amount of time to see each other again. He wasn’t very open about his family’s situation, but we knew he had been adopted and that his brother meant everything to him.  
We pretended not to notice Mingyu’s pout as Soonyoung talked about the plans in as much detail as he could, or the whine of “But Youngie”. Sure we all knew about their not-so-cleverly hidden relationship, but they hadn’t been comfortable enough to tell us, so we’d wait until then to mercilessly tease them.  
Jackson, though, had been watching the baristas, chuckling and occasionally pointing things out to Jooheon, who would snicker into his straw with every new development. Eventually, he leaned over to me, Jooheon’s grin widening as Jackson whispered. “Your crush keeps eyeing you.”  
I looked over at the baristas, catching Hyungwon’s stare before he laughed at something Jihoon said to him and turned his attention back to cleaning the steamers. I knew it was almost the end of his shift, at which point he’d clock out, go home and shower, and probably be over at my apartment. Honestly, I think he spent the night over at my place more than he stayed at his own place… Not that I minded at all. But, since the status of our relationship hadn’t been decided, I hadn’t really told anyone outside of Jooheon about everything that was happening.  
It wasn’t long before Hyungwon untied his apron and hung it up for his shift the next day. He said his goodbyes to his coworkers as he stepped out from behind the counter. I had expected him to leave and go about his business, but he walked directly up to me and squeezed his way onto my lap, resting his head on my shoulder.  
“Kyunnie,” he whined as I caught his waist to hold him steady, “I don’t want to walk home. Can’t I just borrow some of your clothes?”  
You ever feel like your entire brain short-circuited and you just sit there with a dumb expression on your face? That was me.  
At least I wasn’t the only one who was completely dumbfounded. Mingyu had nearly choked on his coffee while Soonyoung rapidly looked between the man on my lap and me. Jackson’s expression was the best, looking somewhere between completely stunned and just… Jackson. It was hard to explain, but it was the funniest thing I’d seen in a while. One of those memories that I’d keep locked away. Jooheon, though, looked thoroughly thrilled at what he was witnessing.  
“Hyungwon?” I asked carefully, maybe even a little too slowly, “What are you doing?”  
He looked up at me with vague confusion tinting his features, “Asking my boyfriend if I can borrow his clothes when I spend the night tonight?”  
Soonyoung’s jaw dropped, “Boy… friend? What the fuck, Changkyun? Why didn’t you say anything?”  
“I didn’t know?” I answered, slowly coming out of my stupor, “I mean, we’ve been on a lot of dates but we hadn’t really talked about it.”  
Hyungwon opened his mouth to say something, having lifted his head to look at me with a confusion before realization seemed to hit. “Shit… I just thought-.”  
Jooheon snorted, “Never assume he’s picked up on something. Kyunnie can miss the things right in front of him sometimes.”  
“Yeah,” Soonyoung snorted (as though he had the best record for catching on), “It’s been three months since Gyu and I started dating and no one noticed.”  
Jooheon had nearly fallen out of his chair in a fit of giggles at that.  
“No, that one we knew, _Youngie_ ,” Jackson teased, standing up and stretching, “Now if you boys don’t mind, I have an essay to avoid.”  
Jooheon gave a solemn nod, “Godspeed.”  
Hyungwon tried to get up to leave, thinking it was all too embarrassing to stick around, but I held him tight. He gave me an appalled look, the look in his eyes asking me to let him hide in his shame.  
“You wanna be my boyfriend?” I asked, gingerly placing my free hand on his knee. He tensed a moment before nodding slowly, averting his gaze from my eyes. “Good. Because I want to be yours.”  
Jooheon let out a soft “finally” before taking another drink of his coffee, Soonyoung snickering from across the table.  
After that, it was easy. When we had a free moment, we would escort each other to classes, talking about the little things, usually with his arm slung around my shoulders. His friends became more amicable, the judgement from before fading away over time. They’d even helped us move when we decided to get a place together the next year. We’d picked up extra work to be able to pay for everything, and that paired with our busy university schedules left very little time for one another, much less ourselves.  
His parents knew about our relationship, and while they questioned it, there was a lot to be said about the relief at their son’s happiness. He’d call them during our already limited time together, at least once a week, and they’d always ask about the nightmares. He’d told me about them, but I figured that they’d faded out over time. It wasn’t until he’d said that he’d found someone who fended them off that I started to question things.  
He’d had them as long as he could remember. Demons, he’d called them, had been tormenting him in his dreams. They’d even continued into adulthood, and so he’d done just about everything to stay awake, such as becoming a DJ. And then he’d met me and he’d slept on my couch, wrapped up in my arms, and they hadn’t bothered him for the first time in years.  
Of course, I didn’t talk to him about what was bothering me. That would have been the smart thing to do, and I was intent on being stubborn, I suppose. Instead, I let it build up, my insecurities festering until they mixed with exhaustion and a little problem had become a bigger argument than it ever should have.  
I’d decided, loudly, that I was going to sleep on the couch. It wasn’t our bed and it wasn’t with him, but it was something. I needed the space to think. After a while to cool down and let calmer heads prevail, he walked out of our room, wearing one of my oversized shirts and a pair of pajama shorts (that were probably also mine).  
“Changkyun,” he tested, checking to see if I was still awake.  
I grumbled in response, keeping my legs stretched across the seat of the sofa so that he couldn’t sit down while he spoke. A show of stubbornness, I guess, for an argument that didn’t even matter.  
“Kyunnie, baby, can we please just talk about this?” he sighed, walking over to crouch down where my head was resting on a throw pillow. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand to brush my loose strands of hair back into place, not missing the huff I gave him. “I shouldn’t have yelled. We’re both really stressed out and tired and we have a lot to work on with this communicating thing.”  
After a moment, I dared to look him dead in the eye. “I have a question for you.”  
“For you? Anything,” he answered, moving his hand to comb his fingertips through my hair. God, I was a sucker for the little smile that played at the corners of his lips.  
“Did this relationship start because you could finally get some sleep?”  
He looked taken aback for a moment, “Why would you..?” After a pause he sighed, sitting on the floor in front of me and keeping our eyes locked, “Changkyun, I knew I loved you before that night. During one of our tteokbokki dates. I knew that your favorite thing was the sausages, but you kept offering them to me. Said that they weren’t your favorites, even though you weren’t as sneaky as you thought you were when you kept stealing them every other time.” He leaned up to kiss my forehead. “I loved you then, and then I fell asleep at your place by accident and I didn’t have the nightmares. And the only thing that changed was that I was with you and I was in love and that was the moment that I knew we were meant to be together.”  
I blinked a few times, pulling myself to sit upright. "You weren't supposed to notice the sausages."  
"I always notice when it comes to you," he chuckled, grabbing my hand to lace our fingers together, "Now will you please come to bed? If you sleep on the couch, you'll have a sore neck and then you'll be grumpy. Plus, I want to cuddle."  
Of course I went to bed after that, and the following years took work because communication hadn't been our forte, but when it came to him, I was willing to put the work in. If I had my way, he would be mine for the rest of my life.  
That realization hit me one night. He’d been out late with some law thing that I didn’t fully understand, but he’d called me to tell me he loved me in hushed tones while I whined about missing him. After a while, I’d called Jooheon over, guessing he would be too busy talking Mingyu and Soonyoung through their recent breakup. I think this was their fifth one, but it was hard to keep track anymore. Still, he came to see me, bringing fried chicken and good company.  
“Saving those for later?” Jooheon teased as I put aside two of the best looking drumsticks from the lot.  
I shook my head, covering them up, “Hyungwon is going to be hungry when he gets home tonight. Sometimes he wants to come home so badly that he doesn’t remember to grab something on the way back.”  
There was a pause as he mulled over what I had said. “You’re in deep for that guy. I remember when he was just that DJ, y’know? Now you’ve been together for three years. He almost done studying law?”  
“We’re so close to one more year of it. And then he can go into the practice and I’ll keep working towards my doctorate.”  
“Next you’ll say you want a house in the suburbs and a dog,” Jooheon snickered.  
I snorted, “I won’t even mind the suburbs if I’m with him forever.”  
The laughing stopped as his expression softened, “Kyun…”  
It was then that what I said finally hit me. I wanted that. I wanted a house and a dog and a ridiculous, lanky lawyer who used to be a barista that moonlit as a DJ to come home to every night. I don’t know when it happened, but the person I could see in my future, once a nameless and faceless figure, became Hyungwon.  
“Jooheon…” I started, “I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I’d fucking marry him if I could.”  
There was a delighted look in his eyes as he watched me. “I’m glad that you’ve figured it out, but the food’s getting cold.”  
I tossed the throw pillow at him with an irritated click of my tongue, “Jackass.”  
The rest of the visit went well, and, by the time Hyungwon got home, he’d decided that he needed to sleep on the couch to spare himself getting back to his apartment too late. Hyungwon walked over, flopping onto the couch next to me.  
“How was your day, Wonnie?” I asked, slipping my arm around him to tug him closer.  
He turned his head to look at me, resituating himself to give me a gentle kiss. “It was long. And I missed you.”  
“You didn’t eat, did you?” He shook his head while my fingers found their way into his soft hair. “It’s a good thing your boyfriend saved you some dinner, hmm?”  
Jooheon tried to hide his snickering as he watched us from what was currently his end of the couch.  
“You staying the night, Jooheon?” he asked after a moment.  
“If you don’t mind,” he yawned, “It’s late, and the second I walk in, Soonyoung will probably be going on about how much he either hates or misses Mingyu.”  
Hyungwon snorted, “What’s the reason this time?”  
“Mingyu’s gonna move for his job. Soonyoung doesn’t want to go with him because his brother finally gets to settle down and they wanna be close again,” he sighed, “But nothing worth hating each other.”  
I sighed, “Jihoon might find that interesting. But you…” I kissed Hyungwon lightly on the top of his head, “Need to eat and then we should go to bed.”  
“We can talk in the morning,” Jooheon chimed.  
It didn’t take much more convincing and it wasn’t long before we were in bed, with Hyungwon reading from a book he’d needed for classes, reading glasses sitting low on his nose as he tiredly flipped through the pages.  
“I love you,” I finally sighed, causing him to lower his book to look at me. “And I want forever with you, if you’ll have me.”  
He blinked a few times at me before his gaze softened, “Changkyun.”  
There was a passing moment where I considered the possibility of him turning me down before he set his book on the nightstand, opening the drawer and grabbing something from inside to place into my hands.  
It was just a small, flat box, and I looked up at him, narrowing my eyes slightly, “What’s this?”  
“I was going to give this to you in about…” he thought for a moment, “Nine days? Take you back to the coffee shop where we’d first spoken, first kissed… Where we became boyfriends, even. And I wanted to add one more memory. Just asking you to be mine forever. And then you beat me to it.” He smiled to himself as he helped me to open it, revealing a small silver bracelet. “I wanted it to be a ring, but…” He gave a humorless laugh before getting serious again, “I love you, Kyun. So much. So if you’re offering forever, I’ll take it.”  
Carefully, I pulled the bracelet from the box, examining the band. Thin and silver, with engravings across it. Our initials and the date the relationship began.  
“Sap,” I chuckled, trying to hide the emotions that were trying to bubble over.  
It wasn’t any kind of official proposal, but it was what we had and it was enough. I told my parents the next day, and they’d been happy for us, telling me that he and I should move back to the States so that we could marry officially. The thought had crossed my mind before, but our lives were in Korea, and they understood. I couldn’t uproot what we were building.  
It wasn’t until after his graduation from law school that we even had the time to go and visit my family. My parents had paid for the tickets and we’d be staying at my childhood home, so the fact that we weren’t that well-off wasn’t going to be a problem. Hyungwon had fallen asleep against my shoulder for the better part of the flight, our fingers laced together and the silver bracelet shining on my wrist.  
My parents had been waiting at the airport to pick us up, my mom practically buzzing with excitement over finally getting to meet Hyungwon in person. She’d given him a massive hug the moment I’d officially introduced him, whispering later that the pictures didn’t do him justice before she went about examining the bracelet on my wrist.  
We’d only be here for a week, then we had to go back home to work on our own lives, but there were no words to explain how much I’d missed home while I was gone. It was going to be hard to leave again.  
Hyungwon dealt with meeting my state-side family as he did everything; with no small amount of grace. He had to be overwhelmed, but gave no indication that he was even remotely distressed by my family’s non-stop questions about his life, even a few days in. He told me that he’d answer any sometimes overly personal questions they had, so long as they approved of our relationship.  
At some point, I was laying on my childhood bed while Hyungwon sorted through some of hi things, his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth while his hands were busy.  
“What if we just got married here, before we went back home?” It was meant to just be me musing on the idea of it all, but I’d hoped he’d say yes. I knew the promise we’d made was enough, but a small part of me wanted to have that proof.  
He mulled it over a moment after catching the serious look in my eye, absentmindedly continuing to brush his teeth before making his way to spit in the sink. “They’d never accept it as a real thing back home.”  
“So what?” I replied, “We’d know it was.”  
I could hear him sigh before he rinsed his mouth. When he walked back into the bedroom, he sat on the edge of the bed, running his long fingers through his soft curls. “There are better times than when I’m brushing my teeth so ask me something like that.”  
“You beat me to a lot of the firsts in this relationship. I learned to just ask when I think about it,” I shrugged, wiggling off to the side to give him enough space to slide into bed with me.  
He chuckled, slipping under the covers and assuming his preferred position as the little spoon. I wrapped my arm around him, pulling him in closer. He placed a hand over mine, lacing our fingers together. “I suppose if we did, I could get you the ring I’ve wanted to.”  
“Even if we don’t, I’m still going to call you my husband. Even if it’s just with my family. Even if it’s just to our families and friends.”  
There was another, longer pause, and I guessed he had fallen asleep, but he gave my hand a tight squeeze, “Let’s get married, then.”  
My mom was thrilled to hear the news the next morning, over a hefty breakfast of sausage, eggs and fried potatoes. Hyungwon listened to all of her ideas, absentmindedly running a finger over the rim of his coffee mug, stopping on occasion to eat whatever I’d offer to him.  
It was a couple of days before we went to the courthouse with my family in tow. Jooheon had pouted when we’d told him about our plans and he realized he wouldn’t be able to join us, but he’d wished us the best.  
We’d worn our best clothes and I’d even applied fresh layer black nail polish to my fingers, instead of the chipped polish I’d been wearing for a week and a half. The ceremony was a rushed little thing, and we’d exchanged rings we’d found at a thrift shop.  
It wasn’t much, but it was ours and that was enough because I was his and he was mine.  
And then we’d gone back to Korea when our visit ended, sporting well-worn rings and talking about our future together.  
He wanted a house. Logically, when we both had decent jobs in our fields, we could afford it. It was just getting to that point that was going to take a lot of time and effort on our parts. It would be worth it in the end, though.  
When we’d gotten back home, Jooheon had thrown a congratulatory party in honor of our marriage. Mingyu and Soonyoung both were in attendance, sending each other meaningful glances from across the room, but refusing to actually talk about things. Jackson arrived fashionably late, pulling the both of us into bone-crushing hugs as he talked about his travels as a model. Jiwoo and Jihoon arrived together, with Jiwoo clacking her way over in her tall heels to grin up at Hyungwon, talking to him in hushed tones. Jihoon had found a corner to claim as his spot, hiding away in it while looking between Soonyoung and Mingyu.  
It was a mess of laughter and spilled drinks and well-wishes, but it was perfect.  
The last to leave was, of course, Jooheon, who stayed to help us clean up after the party while I made some late night pork belly ramyeon.  
"You plannin' to stay in this apartment?" Jooheon asked suddenly, and Hyungwon shook his head.  
"We're going to save up for a house," he answered, "It won't be easy, though."  
Jooheon nodded, chewing his lip a moment, "Why not rent out the spare room?"  
That caught my attention, and I stopped what I was doing to listen.  
"Not everyone would agree with Changkyun and my relationship," Hyungwon explained, punctuating his observation with a quirk of his brow.  
"So then find a friend who is totally cool with you two being husbands," Jooheon answered with a shrug.  
"Like you?"  
"Exactly! And Soonyoung is moving in with his brother, so really, it would save us all some money and we all like each other a lot, so it works!" Jooheon looked like he was on the verge of excitedly bouncing as he spoke.  
Hyungwon looked to me for guidance, "Kyunnie, what do you think?"  
"That you shouldn't put me on the spot like this, honey," I replied, clicking my tongs threateningly at him.  
Hyungwon chuckled to himself after a moment, turning to Jooheon. “Looks like my husband’s a little crabby.”  
I sputtered a moment, giving my best offended look, “That’s it. I can’t deal with this. I’m divorcing you.”  
Hyungwon looked a little too smug at my response, leaning back against the couch with his arms folded over his chest. “It’s only been four days, Kyun, and you’re already tired of being married to me?” After some thought, he stood up, walking over to the peacoat that was hanging on a hook by the door before digging something out of the pocket. “You’ll need a good lawyer,” he chuckled, holding out a business card out to me.  
I took it, looking at it for a moment. It was his card and I rolled my eyes. “Never heard of that guy.”  
Jooheon snorted out a laugh at that, and it was kind of clear that, if there was anyone in the world I would trust to live with us, it was Jooheon. He was my friend. He’d helped us through the awkward stages of our relationship and had never judged when I needed to talk things through. Hyungwon had grown to love him being around, too. It just worked. And I told him as much later that night, after Jooheon had left to go back home.  
We discussed it thoroughly, before finally settling on letting Jooheon move in. It would be a lot easier to save up for the downpayment on our house, especially since Hyungwon wasn’t part of a law firm yet, and I was still trying to find a job in the biomedical field so that we could have at least a decent income. He was thrilled when we’d asked him and we knew we’d all three find an easy rhythm together.  
He planned to move in after visiting Mingyu for a week, but there were a handful of boxes that he’d already set into the room. Everything was good to go, at least until the news came out.  
Meteors were on their way towards Earth, and humanity wasn’t expected to survive. A few days, that’s what they said we had, and Hyungwon and I made a point to spend every moment together that we could.  
And then they hit.  
For all the claims that it was going to be a cataclysmic event with no survivors, there weren’t that many people who died. It was a miracle, they said.  
And then came the call.  
Hyungwon had stopped by for lunch, which was really just some cup noodles with some add-ins (we had a tight budget, what can I say), and I’d just threatened to stab him with my chopsticks if he tried to steal any more of the leftover pork shoulder from the other night. He’d snorted at my sudden outburst, catching me in a kiss just before my phone started buzzing on the countertop.  
“Ignore it,” he mumbled against my lips, and I almost gave in, but even after it stopped buzzing the first time, it started up again almost immediately after.  
I let out a groan before picking up, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Hello?”  
“Oh thank god you picked up.” Mingyu. And he sounded distraught. I snapped me out of the sour mood I was in almost immediately.  
“Gyu? What’s wrong?” I asked, and Hyungwon leaned a little closer to hear what was being said.  
“I-It’s Jooheon. He’s dead,” he choked out.  
I nearly dropped my phone from shock. Hyungwon’s eyes went wide as he brought a hand to cover his mouth. “Are you sure?” I managed out.  
He choked out a sob over the phone, “I just identified him. Kyun, it was bad. He’s in bad fucking shape.”  
I lost the strength in my arms and Hyungwon gingerly took my phone from me as I broke down into tears. He cleared his throat before asking what had happened, but I was too broken to care.  
Turns out he had been one of the unlucky few. Struck by a piece of a meteor.  
Hyungwon called off work after that, taking me to bed and holding me as tightly as he could while we grieved.  
I felt empty. Hollow, even. But Hyungwon was there to ground me when my world was turned around. Even when the actual world was turned upside-down as superhumans started to show themselves, and the government decided on a hard stance against them.I just hoped that neither of us were, not with the way that Soonyoung and Jackson had gone missing.  
I guess I jinxed it.  
Hyungwon wasn’t the type to thrash in his sleep, which is why the sudden movements woke me up, and I blinked in the darkness, hoping my eyes would adjust and I’d see Hyungwon fighting the blankets to run to the bathroom. Eventually, I turned on the lamp closest to me, seeing him sitting upright and shaking. His skin was greyer, lines spread over it to give the appearance of leather. He was staring at his hands almost distantly, where his nails had become thick claws.  
“Hyungwon..?” I asked, shock having woken me up.  
He rolled his head towards me, greeting me with red eyes and sharp teeth. “So there’s the little witch who kept us away.” The voice was not his own.  
Panic coursed through my veins as I watched his every move, every passing second, he was becoming less and less my husband and more… Well, I guessed it was the creatures from his night terrors. “Who the fuck are you?”  
“You don’t make the demands here,” he snarled.  
I glowered, lifting my hand to strike, feeling something shimmering at my fingertips. “Give him back, or I’ll make you.”  
The creature laughed, loud and enough to send a shiver down my spine. “No. He’s ours, now.”  
Like hell he was.  
I’d gotten ready to make good on my promise, when I could hear the crunching of bones and his appearance started to shift back to normal, backing up against the headboard with his knees pulled to his chest, whispering a steady stream of “fuck, fuck, fuck”.  
“Kyun,” he whimpered, but he didn’t say much else, and I pulled him tight against me.  
If they thought me a witch, I’d become one for him.  
So I did.  
Hyungwon had gone back to getting as little sleep as he could, but there had been a few other instances. I’d studied things when I could, trying to find something that would tell me what to do in the situation. Something I could do to protect him from the demons trying to come through.  
I’d tried my hand at some incantations, with varying degrees of success, and so I considered trying to summon one of the beasts in his head to strike a deal with them.  
I’d waited until he was busy in another room before I started the ritual. I didn’t know how aware he was of my new practices. It seemed like a long shot, but I was willing to try it for him. I’d lost my best friend, I couldn’t lose him, too.  
It was about the fifth try before one of the ones from his mind stood before me. Tall, thin, grotesque with sharp angles and sharper horns. Black eyes narrowed at me, and I stared it down.  
“Little witch. How good of you to call me here,” it snarled, tilting its horned head just a little too far, “Finally got it right?”  
“Only if you’re willing to make a deal with me,” I answered, “You and the others.”  
“Go on.” It gestured towards me with spindly fingers.  
“He’s losing the battle against you, isn’t he?”  
The demon chuckled, nodding, “His mind is going to tear itself apart at this rate. You’ve only bought him time.”  
“Unless, you agree to my terms,” I mused, trying not to appear half as unsettled as I truly was.  
“And those are?”  
Taking a deep breath, I looked into the demons eyes with a hard stare. “I want him back. I want him to have control over this. And I’m willing to hand myself over to get him that.”  
“Bold. I like that in a host.”  
I folded my arms over my chest, “So, do we have a deal?”  
The demon hesitated, before holding a hand out to me, “We do.”  
I took it, and the demon disappeared in a puff of thick, green smoke, which I could feel going into my lungs.  
Everything seemed to get better after that, or at least as better as it could get. The demons didn’t bother him as much, but he stayed up late trying to budget as well as he could so that we could eventually afford that damn house. I wanted it, but so much had gone wrong and I tried my damnedest to keep him from being found out as a superhuman. Especially after Mingyu and Jihoon went missing, too.  
I guess that’s why we were stretched so thin. Trying to plan for a hopeless future while the world is falling apart just outside the door. We were still grieving the loss of our friend, too, while tripping over his boxes of reminders. Little things became big things and then we were arguing over a box of cereal to the point where neither of us really slept and I was too stubborn to get out of bed that morning to give him a goodbye kiss and apologize.  
The things we regret.  
I’d been listening to the news while writing up a part of my thesis when I heard about a great demon storming the city, but it was safe now because the superhuman behind it had been caught. I knew right then that he wasn’t coming home.  
I tried to storm one of the holding facilities that day, but I didn’t last. I’d never been so relieved that we didn’t have any pets.  
I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling, almost the same one I’d stared at for the last six years while I was in a holding cell. Sometimes I’d be drugged and moved to a different facility, but they were all too similar. No variety.  
Maybe it wasn’t the best thing to dwell on the memories of my husband and my missing friends, but they were the things I still had after the years of solitude. The only company I had to look forward to was the strange, new doctor. I liked him, even pretended that I didn’t see the shimmering glamour that surrounded him and made him look much more dignified. I would see him through the two-way mirror on the wall. Besides that, there was Envy (the demon who had lived in my husband’s mind and was kind of talkative), who was bored out of their mind with the silence and would strike up conversation to fill the void of silence.  
And then, one day, the lights flickered and the latch on the door clicked and the alarms sounded. I could hear running and knew that the guards had left their positions by my door. Curiosity piqued, I walked over to the door and pulled it open, poking my head through before stepping out.  
I could hear gunfire some ways away and followed the sound. Something was preoccupying them, and there was a foolish hope that it was Hyungwon.  
The person I saw, though, was even more shocking.  
There, taking an onslaught of bullets as though they were nothing, was Jooheon. It took time to get over the shock before I went to help him in the fight, casting spells while Envy whined to be used. I wanted to. I wanted badly to, but I waited.  
It wasn’t long until I was being shoved back in my cell, but I could have sworn that Jooheon had winked in my direction. Cheeky bastard.  
I guessed it was a one time thing, but it happened again the same night.  
This time, Jooheon opened the door of my cell, running over with a dimpled grin and a muzzle hanging loosely around his neck.  
“Changkyun.” he seemed relieved. “Wonnie is going to be so fucking happy that it’s you.”  
“How are you..? Hyungwon’s here?” I didn’t know what to think anymore.  
He nodded and motioned me out of the cell. “We’re creating a distraction so that they don’t win, so just do what you do.”  
“And what do you do?” I asked, wondering if it was just the years of solitude making me see him again.  
He shrugged, “I don’t die. Know of the other threats here?”  
I’d heard of them. “Zombie… You’re Zombie. So is Nightmare..?”  
“Hyungwon. Yeah. But the guards are gonna be on their way soon, so we can’t talk much,” he replied, “God, it’s good to see you, Changkyun.”  
I managed to resist the urge to hug him. He was right. There might be time for catching up, later, but now was a bad time. There was going to be a fight, and we were making it easier with every second we stood in the same place.  
Envy whined in my head, and I gave into them, feeling their energy forced through my veins. It was like possession, I guessed, though I had some say. Or did I? I couldn’t tell, though everything in me was telling me to run through this whole place to find Hyungwon.  
I planned to, but first I placed a hand on Jooheon’s shoulder, muttering an apology. Envy latched onto a thick, orange string, pulling it until it merged with Jooheon, and I could see the fire blazing behind his eyes. Wrath.  
See, one of the abilities I guessed I had was to transfer a demon temporarily into someone else.  
Guards ran towards us, guns drawn and Jooheon threw himself at them.  
I ran past, throwing a fire spell, the magic dancing at my fingertips. I supposed it was Envy’s help that made the spells stronger. I hadn’t been that good on my own, but I could question that later.  
Making my way aimlessly through the halls, I came across a cell with one man sitting calmly in the center of it. Another stood outside, thorns twisted around his arms as he seemed to be waiting for something. As I neared them, the man sitting in the center of the room looked up.  
“Witch, good of you to join us, and not even a second late,” he hummed, “Minhyuk can show you the way from here.” He turned to look at the other, giving a soft smile. “Nightmare will need assistance, dear. Take him there.” The man covered with thorns - Minhyuk, I guess - shrugged, eyeing me with suspicion as the other man tutted. “He’s one of us. Now stop wasting time.”  
Minhyuk rolled his eyes and gestured down a hall, “After you.”  
We hurried through the halls, with Minhyuk scolding me for running too fast as he directed me, but my pace only picked up when I heard the echoing snarls.  
_Pride._ Envy whispered in the back of my mind. _He’s called a powerful one._  
They whispered an incantation through me, and I could feel the build of magic as it crackled at my fingertips. Whatever dark magic was being called through me, I didn’t care. The power felt good as it coursed through my veins after so long.  
I’d taken out as many of the guards as I could until I could see him just down the hall.  
Pride was a huge beast to behold. I’d half expected the partial demonic forms that I’d experienced all those years ago, but this was a fully-formed demon standing down the hall, instead. If it wasn’t for Envy’s influence, I’m sure I would have stood there, dumbfounded as I watched the grey-purple demon as it pounced the guards with bloody claws.  
Beside me, Minhyuk’s thorns grew, quickly spreading across the floor to wrap around the legs of the escaping guards and hold them in place for the demon, a dangerous glint in his eye as they struggled. It was obvious that he was The Thorn that the doctor had mentioned a few times.  
There seemed to be a small break in the wave of guards and Pride turned to look our way, eyes narrowing when they caught sight of me.  
“Envy. So you’ve taken the little witch?” The voice was a low growl, rumbling slightly after they were finished speaking.  
Envy spoke through me, my voice sounding distinctly more nasally, “He struck a deal for your host.”  
Pride chuckled, “Foolish.”  
“Humanity always is.”  
Minhyuk looked uncomfortable as he looked between the two of us before clearing his throat, “I thought you’d be Wrath again.”  
“He’s on loan,” Envy answered shortly, “The Zombie needed the boost.”  
“So that was you,” Pride sneered, “Manipulating the little witch’s powers, hmm?”  
“They’re mine now, too. That was part of the deal.”  
Pride nodded, turning to look down the hall, “The seer told us we wouldn’t make it out this time. He hasn’t been wrong all these years.”  
It was a fight to take over again, pushing Envy back. When I spoke, my voice was my own, but far more desperate than I’d expected. “Then let me see him before time is up.”  
The demon laughed and I could feel my heart sink into my stomach. It wasn’t going to happen. I wasn’t going to get to apologize to him or hold him before being dragged off to my solitary confinement. Anger bubbled under the surface and I looked past the hulking demon in time to catch more guards turning the corner, aiming at the laughing demon.  
At least, if I couldn’t see him and clear the air after so many years, I supposed I could protect him from what would happen, running between him and the projectile coming towards him.  
The dart hit my shoulder instead of him.  
Fucking tranquilizers.  
This one was strange. More of a paralytic, really. I felt my limbs give out, collapsing on the concrete floor in a heap, using the last bit of my strength to reach towards him before I couldn’t make myself move anymore. The demon turned and snarled before catching sight of me, a purple smoke coming from them until the monstrous form fizzled away into the man I’d thought about every single day just to hold on to my sanity. His hair was longer than it had been in a while, and I wanted to speak to him and say what had been weighing heavily on me for years, but I couldn’t.  
He dropped to his knees beside me, taking my hand and whispering my name before a dart hit him and he fell next to me. My vision blurred just before I blacked out.  
When I came to, I was in a new cell. It was smaller, dingier and far more uncomfortable. There was a weight on my wrists and waist and it took me a few minutes to recognize the heavy chains hanging from me. I guess they were more scared of me now than they had been.  
I looked at my hand, taking a deep breath at the recent memory of my husband’s hand on mine.  
We’d get out of here eventually. I didn’t know when or how, but we would.  
For now, I knew he was alive, and that was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> You can find me on twitter here: https://twitter.com/sweetcinnamonb2


End file.
